A Landslide in Overconsolidated Clays that Has Involved an Important Road of Access to an Internal Mountain Town

Abstract

The paper presents a case study on the interference of a landslide in overcosolidated clays, triggered in autumn 2004 - winter 2005 by high pore water pressures, on the usability of an important provincial road of an internal town. In the period of 2004–2019 the landslide suffered several mobilisations that led to temporary closures of the road and continuous interventions on the roadway for its use, that caused significant inconvenience for the population and damage to the commercial, sanitary, touristic, agricultural and other activities. In 2018 a study has allowed to identify the kinematic characters of the landslide and the depth of the sliding surface. The study has confirmed that the principal causes of the landslide are the inherent characteristics of the clays which constitute the slope along with the high pore water pressures, and the fluctuations of these latter the causes of the continuous remobilisation. Very effective corrective measures have been identified in a system of drainage trenches, which represents a very simple and a not expensive solution for the stabilisation of the landslide.